Messiah

On January 7, 2005, Derren Brown traveled to the United States with the goal of convincing five prominent figures of his supposed abilities in their respective fields: Christian evangelism, alien abduction, psychic phenomena, New Age beliefs, and communicating with the deceased.

Using a different alias for each encounter, Derren managed to persuade four out of the five experts to endorse him as a legitimate practitioner. The fifth expert, Christian evangelist Curt Nordheilm, expressed admiration for Derren’s skills but requested a follow-up meeting before offering his endorsement. The show aimed to demonstrate the influence of suggestion on beliefs and the tendency of individuals to overlook contradictory evidence. Derren made it clear that if anyone accused him of manipulation or deceit, he would reveal the truth immediately, akin to the self-imposed rules of the Project Alpha hoax. His findings suggested that people often filter information to align with their existing beliefs while disregarding opposing viewpoints.

Psychic Powers

Derren Brown challenged a prominent figure from a psychic training school to leave the room and create several simple drawings on any subject. After each drawing, Derren’s predictions were recorded by witnesses present with him, achieving a perfect accuracy rate. At one point, while instructing the participant to draw, he suggested she “let some ideas sail into your mind” without focusing too much on details, leading her to draw a boat on water.

New-Age Theories

Derren instructed a leading new-age theorist to sleep with a device attached to her pillow for five days, claiming it utilized crystal technology to capture her dreams. In reality, it was merely a box with a switch that turned an LED light on and off. Derren accurately recalled her dreams, including the detail that some were in black and white. The impressed participant invited him to her radio show the following day, which he declined.

Christian Evangelism

Derren executed instant conversions among a group of self-identified atheists. Following the first conversion, several participants left, unsettled by the experience. He then converted another individual and subsequently the rest of the group simultaneously, leading them to at least entertain the possibility of a higher power, something they had previously rejected. At the conclusion of the show, a message appeared on screen indicating that all participants had been “de-converted” before their departure.

Contacting the Dead

Derren posits that successful mediums employ a technique known as cold reading. To demonstrate this, he orchestrated a clairvoyant session with skeptical New Yorkers. During the séance, he deceived three women into believing he was in touch with their deceased loved ones, resulting in emotional reactions. Afterward, the participants were informed that it was a ruse, and those involved consented to the broadcast.